First off, tell us a little about yourself…
Hi Eddy! Thank you so much for having me on the Stoomio blog. I’m Swapna Haddow and I’m a children’s author. I love dogs, I hate aubergines and one of my favourite things to do is dip my chips in milkshake.
Most people know me for the Dave Pigeon series which is a series about a pigeon called Dave, funnily enough. The series is illustrated by Sheena Dempsey and last year the latest in the series ‘Dave Pigeon (Royal Coo!)’ came out.
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Tell us about your latest book…
My debut picture book ‘My Dad is a Grizzly Bear’ comes out in May 2021. I’m so excited to see what the world thinks. The book is illustrated by Dapo Adeola and this is our first book together. It’s a perfect pressie for Father’s Day.
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What was your nickname at school? (If you had one)
I didn’t really have one but the name ‘Swapna’ seemed to confuse a lot of people. I think seeing an ‘s’ and a ‘w’ together, followed by a ‘p’ and an ‘n’ blew peoples’ minds but it’s really not that difficult. It’s literally pronounced ‘SWAP’- ‘NAH’.
Were you good at writing at school?
I really enjoyed writing and making up stories but I wasn’t very good at spelling and that put me off a little. I kept a journal separate from my schoolwork where I didn’t care about spelling and I wrote everyday. Sometimes I wrote about my day, sometimes I wrote poems and sometimes I just wrote lists of words that I liked. I kept writing and trying my hardest at spelling but I’m still not that great at spelling.
What was your favourite book as a child?
I loved so many different books for so many different reasons. I loved books that made me laugh so anything by Roald Dahl was a firm favourite. I also really loved books that scared me so I used to read lots of horror as well. My sisters and I would make our own projects at home so we loved non-fiction books too.
What was it that inspired you to become a writer?
I always wrote but I never really shared my work because I was worried about how it would be received. I had lots of journals full of poems and stories that I never shared with anyone. But when I started working at The Prince’s Drawing School (now The Royal Drawing School) I had some brilliant friends there who encouraged me to think about submitting my work for publication and that was the first time I thought of becoming a professional writer.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I think people underestimate how patient you need to be with your work. Whether you are writing for yourself or with a view to being published, it takes time. You need to be patient and you need to persevere and you need to give yourself time to hone the craft.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
I would say be brave! Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams and put your work out there.
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
Unfortunately it was a very early experience of bullying. Someone at primary school said something hateful to me because of my brown skin and even to this day, it hurts to think about. That’s how powerful language can be. Words stay with you.
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
I would’ve loved to do a degree or qualification in writing. It would’ve given me the time and space to find and nurture my voice but this is the wonderful thing about writing – you can come to it at any age and from any background. It’s never too late and it’s certainly never too late to go back to school.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
The children’s writing community is super friendly so you make heaps of friends along the way. Sheena Dempsey, who illustrates the Dave Pigeon series, is a very good friend now and we often share our joys and frustrations about the industry together. It really helps to have friends in the industry as writing can be quite a lonely activity and your writer friends will understand what you go through as a writer.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?
Gosh! That’s a hard one. I think I’d make a great detective because I’m super nosy. I also love dogs so I’d probably be an excellent dogsitter.
Has a book ever made you cry? What was it?
Lots of books have left me with emotional scars. I find Sarah Crossan and Jason Reynolds work very emotive but the last book that made me cry was probably ‘Pax’ by Sarah Pennypacker.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
I like to write funny books but when things aren’t going great in the world, it’s very hard to tap into humour. I’ve had to learn to turn off to world events sometimes and cocoon myself in my writing cave because when things aren’t great it’s then more than ever that funny books are needed.
Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
I’ve never had reader’s block but I’ve certainly started books and found I couldn’t finish them. For whatever reason, I’ve failed to get beyond the first few chapters. I don’t feel guilty about putting those books down and starting something else because there are so many books in the world that we don’t really have time to push on with stories that don’t click with us.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Definitely. It happens. You just have to be kind to yourself and take the pressure off. Even writing one word or one sentence a day, even if it’s only to find you delete it, will help you push through.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
I actually do! I write a series called ‘Ballet Bunnies;, illustrated by Binny Talib, under the name ‘Swapna Reddy’ which is my maiden name. It was to avoid a clash of books of similar ages with different publishers.
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What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
I bought a new laptop. My old one exploded on me and I do a lot of my writing on my laptop so definitely the best money I ever spent.
What did you do with your first paycheck?
I bought a laptop, a couch and a phone. All essential bits of equipment if you’re a writer.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Probably a dog of some breed. Definitely a dog that likes to be cosy.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
LOADS. I couldn’t even count at this point. Just LOADS.
What does literary success look like to you?
This is a tricky question. When I first started writing with a view to being published I thought it would be seeing one book on a shelf somewhere in the world and then that happened and it became two books on shelf and then three and then I hankered after a longlisting for an award and then a shortlisting and then winning an award… The goal posts just kept moving!
I suppose, the first time I got a letter from a fan of my books was when I actually felt successful. It’s really something to know your words have connected with a reader. I love when children dress up as characters from my books for World Book Day – that’s such a special thing.
Do you Google yourself?
All the time – just to make sure I haven’t done anything scandalous.
And most importantly… What is your favourite biscuit?
I’ll never say no to a chocolate digestive.
Huge thanks to Swapna for taking time to write this and I feel the exact same way about aubergines and chocolate digestives! But the dipping chips in milkshake situation… it’s a no from me. Although I did once eat a mars bar sandwich. And it was blooming marvelous.
You can find out more about Swapna Haddow and her books:
Website: www.swapnahaddow.co.uk | Twitter: @swapnahaddow
*If you would like to do your own q&a to feature on the blog then send me an email…
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